Obituaries

Susan Dayle Conway, 74, passed away on the evening of January 2, 2023 at her home surrounded by family.  Service: 11 a.m., Saturday, January 7 at the Church at Covington and a memorial luncheon in her honor will follow.  Teahen Funeral Home and Cremation is serving the family.Susan is survived by her husband, Larry; four children, Margaret “Renee,” Shaun, Dominique, and Shavonda Conway; eight grandchildren, Margaret Stutzman, Grace Conway, Brennlyn Stutzman, Conway Stutzman, Noah Conway, Cael Stutzman, Brent Conway, and Brooklyn Conway.

Nathan John “Nate” Junge, Atkins, passed away on Monday, January 2nd 2023, at St Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, surrounded by his loved ones, after a courageous seven and half year battle with colon cancer. A visitation will be held at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Atkins on Thursday, January 5th from 3-7 pm. Funeral services will be on Friday, January 6th at 10:30 AM, at St.

Eugene Keith Stanerson, 73, of Belle Plaine, IA passed away January 2, 2023 at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, IA surrounded by family.Gene was born July 31, 1949 in Dubuque, IA to Harley and Elsie (Cleppe) Stanerson. Gene attended school in Belle Plaine. After graduating high school in 1967, he went to work alongside his father on the family farm.

Merwin “Arkie” Fay Zerba Sr., 89, of Hiawatha, Iowa, passed away on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, at Hiawatha Care Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion, Iowa. Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, at the funeral home followed by burial at Dunkard Cemetery in Midway, Iowa, with full military honors.

Letha Marie (Pickart) Etscheidt, age 92, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 31, 2022 at the Hiawatha Care Center.Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 7, 2023 at St. John Catholic Church in Blairstown with Rev. Craig Steimel as celebrant.  Interment will be held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Blairstown.  Visitation will be held from 4:00 until 7:00 PM on Friday at the church in Blairstown.

Larry Lillibridge, 77, of Oelwein passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Geilenfeld-Buehner Funeral Home in Oelwein with Military Honors beginning at 6:45 PM by the American Legion Post 9 of Oelwein. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Peace Lutheran Church in Oelwein with Rev.

Rev. Richard M. Paulus, 84, passed away Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.Richard Michael Paulus was born Fe, 24, 1938, the son of Joseph Paulus and Lucy Gertrude Paulus (Carberry). He was the youngest of four children: Robert, Barbara (Barnes) and Joann (Moss) Paulus. He passed early Monday evening on Dec.

Sarah Mae (Van Dee) Martens, 83, of Shellsburg, Iowa, passed away Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022, at Henry County Health Center, Mt. Pleasant. She was born Dec. 1, 1939, in Iowa City to Augustine Joseph and Margaret Mary Holderness Van Dee. After graduating from Williamsburg High School, she moved to Cedar Rapids where she spent most of her life. She moved to Shellsburg, Iowa, in 2009 where she spent the last years of her life.

Laura Jeanne Wood, 73, died peacefully Saturday, December 31, 2022 at the Vinton Lutheran Home.  Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 4 at Van Steenhuyse-Teahen Funeral Home, Vinton with Pastor Brian Reeves officiating.  Visitation will be 12:00 p.m. until time of service at the funeral home.Laura is survived by her husband, Loren of Vinton; three sons: Loren (Connie) of Cedar Rapids, Les (Amy) of Urbana and Levi (Heidi) of North Liberty; eight grandchildren: Payton, Jordan, Sloan, Landon, Lexie, Josiah, Keller and Emerson; one brother, Bob Bantz of East Farmington, WI; two sisters: Carol (Dale)Larimer of Cedar Rapids and Kathy (David) Demulling of Osceola, WI; brother-in-law, Marlyn Mayhew of Vinton; and numerous other family members.

Betty Stephens, 97, died Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at the Promise House Assisted Living in Hiawatha. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 2, 2023 at Van Steenhuyse-Teahen Funeral Home, Vinton.Betty is survived by seven nephews: Laverne (Mary) Halstead and Donald Halstead of Vinton, Darwin (Janice) Halstead of TX, Mark Stephens of Green Bay, WI, Wayne Halstead of Cresco, Danny Mills of Belle Plaine and Phillip (Bonnie) Baskerville of Cedar Falls; and three nieces: Cathy Jo Mills of Belle Plaine, Becky (Dan) Briddle of Phoenix, AZ and Nancy (Jay) McWherter of Cedar Rapids.